Principles of
Environmental Science
Inquiry and Applications
Third Edition
Cunningham • Cunningham
Chapter 1
Lecture Outlines*
*See PowerPoint Image Slides for all figures and tables
pre-inserted into PowerPoint without notes.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
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Science:
The
observation,
identification,
description, experimental investigation, and theoretical
explanation of natural phenomena.

Physics

Biology

Chemistry

Environmental Science
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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE DEFINITION
•
Environmental science is the study of the
interactions among the physical, chemical and
biological components of the environment; with
a focus on pollution and degradation of the
environment related to human activities; and the
impact on biodiversity and sustainability from
local and global development.
•
It is inherently an interdisciplinary field that draws
upon not only its core scientific areas, but also
applies knowledge from other non-scientific studies
such as economics, law and social sciences.
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Environmental Science
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•
Environmental science encompasses issues
such as climate change, conservation,
biodiversity,
groundwater
and
soil
contamination, use of natural resources, waste
management, sustainable development, air
pollution and noise pollution.
•
Due to the inherent interdisciplinary nature of
environmental science, teams of professionals
commonly
work together to conduct
environmental research or to produce
Environmental Impact Statements, as required
by the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) or under state laws.
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THE
SCIENTIFIC
METHOD
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•
Hypothesis: A trial explanation of certain facts
that provides a basis for further experimentation.
•
Theory:
•
Law: Statement of natural phenomena to which no
Well-established hypothesis.
An
explanation of the general principles of certain
phenomena with considerable evidence or facts to
support it.
exceptions are known under the given conditions. A
law is not an explanation.
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1. Formulate a hypothesis to a problem.
2. Collect facts or data that are relevant to the
problem. This is done by experimentation.
3. Analyze the data to find trends that are
pertinent to the problem.
4. Plan and do additional experiments to test
the hypothesis.
5. Modify the hypothesis to ensure
compatibility with the experimental data.
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Table 1. Water Quality Analyses of Tap & Bottled Waters Tested at BCC
Fluoride
(mg/L)
Chloride
(mg/L)
Nitrite
(mg/L N)
Nitrate
(mg/L N)
Phosphate
(mg/L)
Sulfate
(mg/L)
BCC Tap Water(7/12)
1.14
9.61
BDL
0.83
1.11
6.65
BCC Tap Water(7/19)
1.14
9.61
BDL
0.83
BDL
7.26
BCC Tap Water (7/27)
1.11
10.49
BDL
0.91
1.19
6.87
NYC Tap Water (45th Street)
1.20
15.05
BDL
0.97
1.44
7.62
NYC Tap Water (Queens)
0.76
5.89
BDL
0.43
1.20
4.21
Poland Spring
BDL
5.52
BDL
1.56
BDL
5.41
Evian
BDL
7.02
BDL
3.52
BDL
13.83
Deer Park
BDL
0.98
BDL
BDL
BDL
1.78
Culligan
BDL
9.52
BDL
3.14
-
13.08
Twin Mountain Peak
BDL
23.42
BDL
3.29
BDL
7.30
Great Bear
BDL
9.16
0.32
1.07
BDL
BDL
Long Island Well Water
BDL
40.33
BDL
14.62
0.07
9.72
USEPA STANDARD
4.0
250*
1
10
NA
250* 12
Sample
Dr. Neal Phillip
You are watching Channel 7 Eyewitness News and a Newsflash comes across the screen about an incident of
contaminated drinking water in New Jersey. Though you live in Brooklyn, you panic and rush out to the local
Home Depot to buy a water purifier.
STOP!! Before you make a purchase, more out of fear than out of actual need, ask yourself what specifically you
hope to accomplish by buying a water purifier. Most consumers shopping for a household water purifier start by
looking in the wrong place. The store is the last stop they should make. The search should begin at home with a
test to determine what’s in their drinking water.
Not all home water purifier solve all drinking water problems. Some are designed to remove impurities that others
don’t touch. Consumers should look for devices designed to remove specific impurities from their drinking water.
Some of the common types available on the market are discussed below.
Carbon Filters
Carbon filters remove some organic chemicals and reduce undesirable tastes, odors, and color. They also remove
chlorine and some pesticides. Carbon filters however do not remove heavy metals such as lead. The popular
BRITA filter is a carbon-based filter. Consumers undergoing kidney dialysis should not drink water containing
oxidants like chlorine, so a BRITA filter is a good choice.
Ion Exchange Water Softeners
There are two types of water softeners, cation and anion ion exchangers. Cation ion exchangers solve hard water
problems. They eliminate calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and other metals such as lead and copper by
replacing them with sodium. Consumers on sodium-restricted diets should consider this before purchasing. Anion
ion exchange units remove sulfates, nitrates, bicarbonates.
Distillation Units
Distillation units boils water then catches and condense the steam while contaminants remain in the boiling tank.
Distillation removes heavy metals, ions and kills microorganisms present in the water.
Make a Smart Choice!!!!
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SCIENCE AS A WAY OF KNOWING
•
Scientists collaborate in a cumulative, selfcorrecting process.

•
Many people often work on many different
aspects of a problem.
Creativity, insight, aesthetics and even luck
play important roles in scientific research.
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Scientific Design
•
•
Reproducibility
 Experiments must be designed and
recorded such that they can be exactly
reproduced by other researchers.
Controlled Studies
 Comparisons are made between
experimental and control populations.
- Every factor except the one being
studied is held constant.
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Scientific Design Cont’d
•
•
Blind Experiment
 Conducted so investigators do not know
which is the control and which is the
experimental group, until after data have
been gathered and analyzed.
Double-Blind
 Neither the subject nor the investigators
know which participants are receiving an
experimental treatment.
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Reasoning
•
•
Deductive
 Starting with a general principle and
deriving a testable predication about a
specific case.
Inductive
 Specific examples are examined to locate
patterns and derive general explanations
from collected observations.
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Modeling and Natural Experiments
•
•
In some areas, historic evidence can be
examined for support or contradiction of an
idea.
Another method of investigation is using a
model simulating the phenomenon under
study.
 Models represents researchers’
assumptions about how a system works.
- Can produce contradictory results.
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Statistics and Probability
•
•
Probability
 An attempt to measure and predict the
likelihood of an event.
Sample Size
 A critical experimental variable is the
number of observations necessary in order
to have a reliable representation of a
population.
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Approaches to Knowledge and Thinking
•
•
•
•
•
Analytical Thinking
 How can I break this problem into parts?
Creative Thinking
 How can I approach this differently?
Logical Thinking
 How can deductive reasoning help?
Critical Thinking
 What am I trying to do?
Reflective Thinking
 What does it all mean?
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Steps in Critical Thinking
•
•
•
•
•
•
Identify and evaluate premises and
conclusions in an argument.
Acknowledge and clarify uncertainties,
vagueness, equivocation, and contradictions.
Distinguish between facts and values.
Recognize and assess assumptions.
Distinguish source reliability or unreliability.
Recognize and understand conceptual
frameworks.
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History of Conservation and Environmentalism
•
Four Distinct Stages:
 Pragmatic Resource Conservation
 Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation
 Modern Environmentalism
 Global Environmental Citizenship
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Pragmatic Resource Conservation
•
President Theodore Roosevelt and his chief
conservation advisor, Gifford Pinchot,
believed in utilitarian conservation.
 Forests should be saved so they can be
used to provide homes and jobs.
- Should be used for “the greatest good
for the greatest number, for the longest
time.”
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Modern Environmentalism
•
Rachel Carson, Silent Spring.
 Awakened the public to threats of pollution
and toxic chemicals to humans as well as
other species.
- Modern environmentalism extends
concerns to include both natural
resources and environmental pollution.
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Global Concerns
•
Increased travel and communication enables
people to know about daily events in places
unknown in previous generations.
 Common environment shared on a global
scale.
- Global Environmentalism
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CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
•
Causes of Environmental Degradation
 More than 6 billion people now occupy the
earth, and we add about 85 million more
each year.
- Most growth will be in poorer countries
where present populations already strain
resources and services.
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Human Dimensions of Environmental Science
•
A small fraction of the world’s population live
in increasing luxury, while more than 1.4
billion people live in acute poverty.
 Seventy percent are women and children.
 Often meet short-term survival needs at
the cost of long-term sustainability.
 Cycle of poverty, illness and limited
opportunities become cyclic.
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Rich and Poor Countries
•
•
•
About 20% of the worlds population lives in
the twenty richest countries.
 Average per capita income above $25,000.
Other 80% live in middle or low-income
countries.
 Ten poorest countries each have average
per capita income of less than $620.00.
Richest 200 people in the world have have a
combined wealth of $1 trillion.
 More than total owned by poorest half of
the world population (3 billion).
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Sustainability
•
Sustainable Development
 Sustainable development is a process of
developing land, cities, business, communities,
and so on that "meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs" according
to the Brundtland Report, a 1987 report from the
United Nations. One of the factors which it must
overcome is environmental degradation, but it
must do so without forgoing the needs of
economic development, social equality and
justice.
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Indigenous Peoples
•
Indigenous peoples are generally among the
least powerful, most neglected groups.
 In many countries, traditional caste
systems, discriminatory laws, economics,
or prejudices repress indigenous peoples.
 In many places, indigenous people in
traditional homelands guard undisturbed
habitats and rare species.
- Recognizing native land rights may
safeguard ecological processes.
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Focus Questions for Quiz #1
1.
Be able to define the following: science, environmental
science.
2.
Be familiar with the following : hypotheses, theory, law
3.
Be familiar with the steps involved in the Scientific Method
4.
5.
6.
7.
Be familiar with the History of Conservation and
Environmentalism
Be familiar with the work of Rachel Carson
Be familiar with the current environmental conditions and
some of the reasons for environmental degradation (rapid
increase in population , wealth gap between rich and poor
countries)
Be familiar with the concept of sustainable development
and sustainability.
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